Time For Some Grandbaby Bells

from the breakup-the-Baby-Bells dept

In the seventeen years since AT&T was first made to split up and the Baby Bells first appeared on the scene, they've grown up and matured (and gobbled each other up). Now suddenly lawmakers are thinking it may be time to break up the Baby Bells and make some Grandbaby Bells. Of course, there are a ton of problems with this idea, and no one has any idea how it will work. The Baby Bells (not surprisingly) are somewhat against this idea and point to the California power crises as an example of what's likely to happen if they're broken up (which seems like a bit of excessive fear-mongering).
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  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 13 Aug 2001 @ 6:19am

    No Subject Given

    Do people think that the breakup of AT&T is a bad thing? I've seen it referred to as such...

    If they break up the baby bells, they need to split the wholesale side from the retail services.

    No, I didn't read the article, I'm too busy posting here :P

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Duffman, 13 Aug 2001 @ 6:28am

      Re: No Subject Given

      Wasn't the reason that they broke up the Bells in the first place was because the cable companies were afraid that the Bells would replace them? And then the repeal because the Bells convinced the FTC (or whoever) that they cable companies were strong enough to fend for themselves? Sorry if I'm wrong on either count, I was in kindergarten and high school for the two events, respectively. Anyway, I think that they cable companies can fend for themselves now - the playing field is a little more open. Though the article does mention that smaller telecoms are complaining too because the Bells are muscling them out, which is a valid point too...

      link to this | view in chronology ]


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